Inequality in Pakistan remains a major challenge, with the top 10% of earners capturing 42% of total income. The bottom 50% of the population receives only 19%, according to the World Inequality Report 2026.
The report, published by the World Inequality Lab (WIL), highlights that Pakistan has seen limited progress in reducing income disparity over the past decade. WIL is a global research centre hosted at the Paris School of Economics, focused on analyzing economic and social inequality using data-driven research.
Wealth inequality in Pakistan is even more concentrated. The richest 10% hold 59% of total wealth, while the top 1% alone controls 24%. The country’s average income per capita is around 4,200 euros (PPP), and average wealth is estimated at 15,700 euros (PPP).
Between 2014 and 2024, the income gap between the top 10% and bottom 50% fell slightly from 22.0 to 21.4, showing only a minor improvement. Female labour participation also declined from 9.8% to 8.5%, highlighting ongoing gender disparities.
Globally, inequality remains severe. The top 10% of income earners in the world earn more than the remaining 90%, while the poorest half captures less than 10% of global income. Wealth is even more concentrated, with the top 10% owning three-quarters of global wealth, and the bottom half holding only 2%.
The report further highlights that the wealthiest 0.001%—fewer than 60,000 ultra-rich individuals—own more than half of the global population combined. Their wealth share has grown steadily from 4% in 1995 to over 6% today, illustrating the accelerating concentration of wealth.
Billionaires and centi-millionaires have enjoyed annual wealth growth of about 8%, nearly double the rate experienced by the bottom half of the population. Meanwhile, the poorest segments have made only modest gains, leaving billions without basic economic security.
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The report concludes that Pakistan, like many countries, faces persistent inequality, with slow progress in gender inclusion and wealth distribution, reflecting broader global economic trends.
